The Oracle - 4/11/17

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Tuesday, April 11, 2017

RACLE Volume 101 | Issue 17 | Free in single copy

The primary news source of the Golden Eagles since 1924

Serving Tennessee Tech weekly during the fall and spring semesters

> The Backdoor Playhouse

opens new musical in Derryberry y y Hall.

PAGE 3

The Clothesline Project CLOTHESLINE - The Clothesline Project is an annual event held every year by the Tech Women’s Center.

This year it was held in the Tech Pride Room April 4.

The project is meant to bring awareness to sexual assault and rape victims and survivors.

Emmerson Meurett | The Oracle

Posner headlines spring S.O.L.O. concert

By ERIN GILLILAND & SHELLEY RENO Beat Reporters Mike Posner and his accompanying band are performing at the Hooper Eblen Center as the spring SOLO entertainer at 7 p.m. tonight.

Nashville artist Sinclair is opening the concert. Posner first gained popul arity in 2010 with his single “Cooler Than Me.” He’s also known

for the remix of his song “I Took a Pill in Ibiza,” according to Island Records News.

Originally a classically-trained guitarist, Sinclair is now a pop singer-songwriter, according to Sonicbids.

Tech students voted for Posner in November.

Other possible choices for the rock ge nre SOLO entertainment were Alessia Cara, Echosmith, X Ambassadors, Daya and Kaleo.

“He’s not as exciting as Alessia

Cara would have been,” said Steven Stoik, a senior communication major.“I’m still excited that we have a talented artist coming.”

“He’s no Avett Brothers,” Sarah Wilson, a senior civil engineering major, said. “But he’s a lot more popular than some of the other people we’ve had in the past.”

The doors open at 6 p.m. with the concert starting at 7 p.m. according to the SGA Facebook page. Tickets are available at th e SGA office in the RUC or at the door.

Disney Club raffles prizes during April The Disney Club is raffling off prizes to those in attendance at their April meetings. The group hopes to foster attendance and growth in the Disney loving community at Tech.

By CHRISTIAN McCALL & KYLE McGEE Beat Reporters The members of the Te c h D i s n e y C l u b p l a n o n having a raffle for Disneyrelated prizes during the month of April in order to bolster attendance, ac-

c o r d i n g t o Te c h Ti m e s .

The attendance at the club is dwindling due to midterms and projects interfering with the members, said club officer Erin Gilliland.

Gilliland said she hopes the raffle encourages membership growth and fosters a growing community of Disney enthusiasts.

“ We w i l l b e h o l d i n g a raffle at the end of each meeting,” Gilliland said.

“Anyone is eligible to enter and we encourage people to show up.”

At the final meeting of t h e y e a r, A p r i l 2 5 , m e m bers of the club plan on a larger raffle, with three grand prizes being given a w a y, s a i d G i l l i l a n d .

Members of the club

are searching for new club officers for the fall s e m e s t e r. T h e o p e n p o s i tions are president, vice president, secretary and t r e a s u r e r, s a i d G i l l i l a n d .

“Anyone interested in an officer position is encouraged to attend meetings,” Gilliland said.

The Disney Club meets a t 6 p . m . Tu e s d a y i n R U C 371.

Cross With Care informs students about safe habits Cross With Care teaches Tech students the proper procedures for crossing university roads safely. Students will have the opportunity to win prizes during the event.

By JAZMEN MARTIN & CIARA WALKER Beat Reporters Members of the Public Relations Club at Tech are sponsoring the Cross With Care campaign at 11 a.m.

Thursday in front of the Roaden University Center.

The campaign addresses the importance on crossing streets with c are. Club members plan to hand out

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@

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tips on proper crossing procedures.

Students may have a chance to win a prize while learning, organizers said.

“Random pedestrians might be asked a series of questions about crosswalk and street laws with a chance to win a prize,” Taylor Harling, one of the students involved with Cross with Care, said.

Harling also said there are plans to play a game called “ROW,” for right of way.

Campus police Lt. Mike Lambert

CONTACT:

said he has strong feelings about crossing with care.

He said state laws require motorists to stop f or pedestrians at marked crosswalks, but they are not necessarily at fault for not stopping for pedestrians at unmarked crosswalks.

“I can’t stress it enough to use the marked crosswalks,” Lambert said. “What we’re finding is that a number of students will use them, but a number of them don’t.”

Cross with Care members want

Student reports man performing lewd acts

By MASON BULTER & BEN WHEELER Beat Reporters

A Tech student athlete reported a white man in a Nissan Altima was performing a lewd act at the intersection of McGee Boulevard and University Drive by the soccer field, according to a campus police report.

The student reported this is the third time she witnessed the man performing the lewd act in public at that location.

The first incident she said she witnessed the man moving, accompanied by the sounds of the lewd act.

“The second time she was at the walk light at the intersection of University Drive and North Willow Avenue when he drove up on University Drive. The complainant stated that he was naked and [performing a lewd act],” according to the report.

Lt. Fred Nichols said he observed the same vehicle described by the complainant March 24 parked on McGee Avenue, two parking spaces down from University Drive.

Nichols reported a man in the vehicle and the vehicle was there for about 30 minutes.

The suspect is still at large.

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OPINION

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

>> Think Freely >

Send letters to the editor to oracle@tntech.edu oracle@tntech.edu.. Include your name, email address and limit letters to 300 words. Anonymous letters are not accepted. Deadline for letters is 4 p.m. Friday.

We reserve the right to edit grammar, length and clarity.

Family inspires personal perspective in world news KATE TREBING Opinions Editor

War is a fairly abstract concept. Sure, we’ve all seen the video footage of the wreckage left after a bombing, or the abject poverty of those left most vulnerable after a battle strips a community of vital resources.

But none of this touches us directly.

Not until we have our own stake in the game.

When loved ones get involved, suddenly the possibility of war is a personal matter. Those world headlines become the reality we face. Debates and policies are suddenly just concepts, and action becomes the only aspect that matters.

Last week the National Security Council announced the possibility of reinstating nuclear weapons in South Korea for the first time in 25 years. These bombs would act as a proactive security measure against the increasingly volatile North Korean militia. The council discussed placing the bombs in Osan Air Base, the very location where my brother is stationed for the next 10 months.

Between FaceTime and Facebook, my family keeps in close contact with my brother almost daily. Gone are the days of sending letters in the hopes of a reply months later.

We are able to communicate within seconds, meaning that we can share our daily lives so much more easily.

Because of this, we know that he is not worried about the increasing tension between North and South Korea, or even between the U.S. and North Korea.

He may not worry, but we do.

In times of uncertainty, sometimes we must emotionally detach ourselves in order to make rational decisions. How does one go about choosing between the lesser of two evils if one cannot

Photo courtesy of Capt. Jonathon Daniell STRENGTH IN NUMBERS - U.S. Col. Mark Holler and Republic of Korea Air Force Operations Lt. Gen. Wang Keun Lee discuss combining defenses at Osan Air Base, 2016. overlook the harmful consequences of both sides? I strive to think critically, to understand an issue from every angle.

But when loved ones are involved, I cannot restrict my mind to the rational.

I focus on the reality.

As one senior intelligence official pointed out, 20 years of deploying diplomacy and sanctions has done little more than discourage the North Korean program.

According to U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert, an estimated 50 percent of South Korea’s population support the possibility of nuclear deployment on their northern neighbor.

While Air Force leadership may not necessarily support the reinstating of nuclear weapons in South Korea, they will certainly carry out the orders they are given, regardless of personal misgivings.

Considering the active presence

North Korea has played in recent world headlines, one might imagine more trepidation from the inhabitants of the air force base just 45 nautical miles from the demilitarized zone, also known as DMZ, separating North and South Korea. Yet my personal sources attest to a different morale.

From this civilian's perspective, the U.S. military seems to function similarly to a vital yet often understated bodily organ. Take the liver, for example.

The liver acts as a filter for our blood by getting rid of harmful toxins and producing essentials proteins to nourish the entire body. While the human body can function with up to 75 percent of the liver removed, it must have some portion of the liver to survive.

The U.S. military is just as vital. We need our forces’ defenses, both within and beyond our borders. And just as the liver replenishes the body with

essential proteins, so does our military condition its forces to be essential members of our society.

One truly remarkable feat I have witnessed in the transformation of a service member is the self- discipline to follow orders. This is no easy task for the stubborn, thick-headed brothers I knew before basic training.

You know someone has undergone a lifestyle change when he returns home and finally takes the time to make his own bed or pick up his own laundry.

So it goes without saying that the members of the Osan Air Force Base will carry out their orders, regardless of political views. In the belly of the whale, political parties no longer have any meaning. All that matters is order and execution.

As for the families back home, we worry regardless of the breaking headlines. Yes, we hold on to the popular belief that North Korea is all talk and no action. We choose to trust my brother’s reassurances that Osan is quiet and inactive. And we trust God with the future.

Because we see little use in sitting on our hands, worrying over the uncontrollable factors at play. And we see little value in bantering over the benefits and drawbacks of placing strategic bombs in South Korea. We see only the individuals carrying out those orders.

No country can be founded on principles alone. There must also be action to enact those statutes. In our past, American society has rejected war so resolutely as to identify its military as scapegoats for a larger operation’s decisions.

Regardless of what the future holds, never forget our civil and personal responsibility to pay homage to our military. They deserve that and so much more.

Kate Trebing is a senior in communication with a concentration in public relations. She can be reached at kdtrebing42@students.tntech.edu.

Is a hot dog a sandwich? Students weigh in on life's great mysteries ‘‘

‘‘

Tobi Sobowale, freshman business information technology

“Yes. It is constructed in every single way like a sandwich. A hot dog is a miniature version of a sub-sandwich.”

‘‘

Est. 1924. Weekly. Student Operated. Award-winning.

Tennessee Tech University TTU Box 5072 Cookeville, TN 38505 Managing Editor - HAYLEE EATON Asst. Managing Editor - MALLORY ENGLAND Business Manager - BRIANA SMITH Copy Editor - ASHTON BREEDEN Opinions Editor - KATE TREBING Sports Editor - MARCUS HANSON Asst. Sports Editor - ROBYN HANSON Entertainment Editor - CAMERON FOWLER Entertainment Critic - HANNAH BARGER Circulation Manager - AALIYAH SYMLAR Faculty Adviser - VANESSA CURRY Thanks for reading The Oracle Read more @ tntechoracle.com

Mark Phillippi, senior accounting

‘‘

“Yes a hot dog is a sandwich. It is two pieces of bread with meat in between. Also, if you think about it, people put toppings on the side too.”

“Honestly no a hot dog is not a sandwich. It is its own entity.”

,,

,, Jana Lack, junior biology health science

James Francis, junior communication

ORACLE

,,

Skye Robinson, junior history

,,

THE

“No a hot dog is not a sandwich. Fun fact, the hot dog and sausage council said that a hot dog wasn’t. I Googled it yesterday.”

,,

,,

‘‘

‘‘

“No. I feel like a sandwich is comprised with stuff in the middle and a hot dog doesn’t do that.”

“Yes. Because it is built like a sandwich.

Take a ham and cheese sandwich for instance. A hot dog is made just like that.”

Jacob Hunt, sophomore wildlife and fisheries science

Content gathered by Oracle contributors Lauren Brabston and Lacey Renfro.

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Plagiarized works will not be considered.

3. For verification, letters and commentaries MUST include your name, e-mail address, FIND AN ERROR? home town and Contact the Managing Editor 1. Letters should not classification or title. exceed 300 words.

Haylee Eaton heeaton42@students.tntech.edu Commentaries should 4. Letters may not run (931)-409-7066 be around 500 words in every edition due to and include a picture space. of the writer.

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DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of Tennessee Tech University’s employees or of its administration.

COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 3

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Reviews <<

ENTERTAINMENT

‘First Date’ to open next week The musical comedy begins on April 19 and offers performances through April 29.

Press Release Contributed by MARK CRETER

Photo by Mark Creter DATE - Christian Bare (Left) and Marlana Smith (Right) perform at a ‘First Date’ dress rehearsal.

The Tech English Department, in cooperation with the Pi Upsilon Cast of the APO Dramatic Honor Society and the Tech Players, present the 26th Annual Dorothy Printz Pennebaker Memorial Spring Production in the historic Derryberry Auditorium.

This contemporary musical comedy brought to Tech by the Tech Players is “First Date” with a book

by Austin Winsberg, and music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. Directed by Mark Harry Creter, with music direction by Mendy Richards and choreography

by Melissa Moffett, the play will be performed in Derryberry Auditorium April 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29 at 8 p.m. with a special matinee performance April 29 at 2 p.m.

The story of “First Date” focuses on the tightly wound Aaron who is set up with cool girl Casey.

A quick drink turns into a hilarious dinner served with sides of Google background checks, fake emergency phone calls, a slew of bad boy and uptown girl exes and some seriously saucy chemistry.

Can this mismatched pair turn what could be a dining disaster into something special before the check arrives, or end up at another table for one?

Theatre reviewer David Cote wrote of the show, “First Date aims its love arrow for the middle and hits it with aplomb.”

The Hollywood Reporter wrote, “A winning crowd-pleaser, delivered with comic verve and charm.”

Tickets for “First Date” are available at the door before the show, and prices are: general admission $15, senior citizens $12 and all students are $5.

No reservations required; tickets are available on a first-come-firstserve basis.

For further information contact the Tech Theatre box office at (931) 372-6595 or visit their home page at www.tntech.edu/bdph/.

‘13 Reasons Why’ demands attention

By CAMERON FOWLER Entertainment Editor

Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why,” based off the bestselling young adult novel of the same name by Jay Asher, attempts to devote an entire premise to a commentary on suicide, bullying, ego and the lack of compassion practiced among teenagers and people in general.

It’s hardly an easy watch but it is essential not just for teens, but also for those navigating the everyday throes of human behavior, and seeing what a toll carelessness can take on someone.

Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) has just committed suicide and her entire school seems to have moved on. Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette), the show’s protagonist, is mourning the loss of Hannah when a box filled with 7 numbered tapes appears at his doorstep.

Once he pops the first one in, we hear Hannah’s voice revealing that she recorded each side with a specific person in mind.

She devotes each tape to a person who pushed her to suicide, and the show explores a different character’s relationship with Hannah in each episode.

Suddenly, the 13 chosen are coming to terms with their role in her death. Clay is the vessel through which we hear her stories.

The show explores nearly every kind of relationship under the sun. The storyline is often obscured for Clay’s good, as the omnipresent Tony (Christian Navarro), a kind classmate of Hannah and

Photo Courtesy of variety.com 13 REASONS - ‘Spotlight’ director Tom McCarthy serves as an executive producer of the series and directed its first two episodes.

Clay, warns of information that will be revealed in the future.

Tony works as a good indicator of what’s to come, but he is often too mysterious for his own good; the show postures his character as a crystal ball who sees and knows all, which leaves less time for him to actually grow as a character.

It’s easy to share Clay’s hesitation to listen to these tapes.

Minnette takes a difficult role and approaches with care and honesty.

Clay’s actions feel warranted, such as when he erupts over an act of rape that has been kept secret among his classmates. The anger boils inside the audience and also

within Clay himself.

One by one, we see how each character leaves a mark on Hannah, leading to some great writing while the show delves into the reasons and events that changed her.

Hannah’s troubles mostly stem from the drifting of her two friends, Alex (Miles Heizer) and Jessica (Alisha Boe), who create a ripple effect of choices that lead Hannah to suicide.

One character in particular, Justin (Brandon Flynn), an initially shallow jock, objectifies Hannah early on, leading her to continually feel like a body instead of a person.

The acting in the moments

of Hannah’s sadness is incredibly believable. Langford’s performance not only captures the isolation of Hannah but her naivety to believe things will get better. Layers of Justin’s life reveal the darkness lurking behind his facade, and his development is particularly memorable.

Some characters are handled with precision and attitude that is almost perfect for the way these teens should feel and act, but some, like an unbelievable “stalker,” ultimately morph into something else entirely that leaps beyond the scope of Hannah’s suicide and leaves the question of a second season dangling with almost

no sensitivity to the seriousness on hand.

However, Hannah’s story is still deeply impactful. The last couple of episodes show the bleak reality of suicide and rape that never extends into schlock; they feel real, very dire and entirely disturbing.

The show can veer into cheesiness, but it deserves to be commended for its realism in portraying suicide.

The show never strays from its mission to tell a story about suicide that feels completely relevant.

“13 Reasons Why” is a demanding and tough watch, but it is a journey worth taking with these characters.

‘Life’ takes a hollow journey through familiar tropes

By HANNAH BARGER Entertainment Critic I wasn’t sure what to think a b o u t 2017’s first space

thriller, “Life.”

The cast full of A-list actors, convoluted trailer, and title that requires “-movie” typed after it when doing research all added a slight air of pretension.

My little brother (the one who gets me free tickets) ranted about how much he hated it when he got home, according to my mom -- and he has a very high tolerance for high-concept, navel-gazing movies.

Still, the fact that he hated it didn’t mean I had to, right?

So I took my mom out Friday night, figuring that if all else failed, at least I could stare at Jake Gyllenhaal.

The story starts with the crew of the international space station (a nice bit of realism) investigating the possibility of life on Mars.

The team’s biologist performs experiments on a cell extracted from a soil sample, which, when introduced to some kind of nutrient, quickly “wakes up.”

It seems fine for a while, even cute. A school kid names the creature Calvin for some reason.

But as we all know, finding new life on another planet in a movie never

goes well.

Things begin to go exactly as you’d expect -- the life form becomes sentient, gets angry, and attempts to go on a murderous rampage.

Fortunately, it’s still a bit too small, but it’s hungry, and with everything it eats, it grows in size. As it grows in size, it grows in hostility.

I’m sure you can see where this is going, and the star-studded cast is picked off one by one.

But there’s a glaring problem with that -- I literally could not care less about these people. Even Gyllenhaal couldn’t warm my heart.

The movie is beautifully filmed, as most recent space films are.

The starry skies are gorgeous, and, of course,

Photo Courtesy of teaser-trailer.com HUMBLE BEGINNINGS - ‘Life’ is rumored to be a prequel for Sony’s upcoming ‘Venom’ movie. the movie is well-acted. Still, none of this is enough to make it salvageable.

Its characters are static, and it feels like a knockoff of a movie that was made years before.

The primary complaint among much more

competent reviewers than I am tend to cite the same glaring problem: this movie’s premise is suspiciously similar to another alien life formthemed film that was released several decades ago (one guess to what that movie is called).

But this movie lacks all the charm of chestbursting face huggers and Sigourney Weaver kicking aliens and taking names.

Simply put, in my opinion, “Life” is boring.

This is my third negative review in as many weeks, so either I’m a glutton for punishment (likely), spring is a bad time for new entertainment, or “Life” is a very love it or hate it style movie.

Its 54 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating supports this idea. I’m not exactly firm in the “hate it” camp, but I’m definitely not lining up to see it again unless I’m being paid to.

I should have listened to my brother on this one.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

THE ORACLE || COOKEVILLE, TN || PAGE 4

SPORTS

>> Inside the Game

Jacksonville Gamecocks hand Tech first loss in Ohio Valley Conference games

Golden Eagle Tennis

Tony Marable | TTU Sports

Tony Marable | TTU Sports TECH AT JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY - Golden Eagles’ Micheal Wood(44) threw for six innings, with only four runs surrendered, two earned and three walks against Jacksonville State on April 7.

By MARCUS HANSON

Sports Editor

On April 7, Tech lost their first Ohio Valley Conference to Jacksonville State University. In the 7-2 loss, Tech started off strong with Trevor Putzig and Kevin Strohschein both scoring in the fourth inning.

Jacksonville answered in the fifth inning, tying the game at 2-2.

The Gamecocks would then take the lead in the sixth, scoring twice. In the eight-inning Jacksonville added three more runs to their total, giving Tech it’s first loss.

Tech’s pitching game was strong with senior Michael Wood throwing for six innings, with only four runs surrendered, two earned and three walks. He also struck out a season-high nine batters.

After the hard loss, Tech rebounded the next

day winning 22-6.

The Golden Eagles ensured this victory by scoring in every inning except the seventh.

Alex Junior, Cody Littlejohn and Strohschein all hit homeruns in the second matchup, with Ryan Flick hitting two homers as well.

Tech plays at Vanderbilt April 11, and then returns home for a three game series, April 13-15 against Murray State University.

TENNIS WIN AT TECH: The Golden Eagles remain undefeated in the Ohio Valley Conference for tennis.

After a dominating 6-1 performance over Jacksonville State University, Tech remained at the top of the OVC standings for the third week in a row.

They play Tennessee State and Belmont at home April 14 and 15 respectively.